‘Evil Eye’ book review: Palestinian-American Etaf Rum’s novel explores the true meaning of freedom and feminism

Aqabat Jabr camp, undated, UNRWA Archive. (Image: palquest.org via X) The book 'Evil Eye' tells the story of Yara, whose conservative Palestinian family grew up in overcrowded refugee camps of the occupied West Bank and moved to America.

Etaf Rum’s Evil Eye comes after her successful debut A Woman is No Man (2019). Evil Eye tells the story of Yara, born to a conservative Palestinian family in Brooklyn and her journey towards finding her own identity. Expansive and easy to read, this is Yara’s attempt to reconcile her past dreams and her present self. Yara goes through mandated therapy after an altercation with a work colleague who makes a racist remark about Yara’s personal choices. That is when she begins to recollect her childhood and realises how much her childhood trauma impacts not only her own life but that of her daughters too. A meditation on feminism and motherhood, Evil Eye answers questions about gender and identity with a complicated family drama.

This book is as much about domestic politics and feminism as it is about the Israel- Palestine conflict. Yara’s parents grew up in overcrowded refugee camps of the occupied West Bank. Her parents moved to America to give their children ‘a fighting chance’. Yara grew up in the shadow of Israeli occupation and conflict. Her parents internalised the dreadful conditions of the camps which gave birth to a vicious cycle of oppression and emotional violence at home. Yara’s mother had big dreams for her life which died when she got married and had children. She raised six children, and Yara being the eldest daughter was burdened with responsibilities and expectations. Even though Yara’s most fond memories are those with her grandmother in Palestine, she cannot feel at home in America or Palestine. An outsider to both countries, she represents the life of many Palestinian expatriates.

Etaf Rum’s writing is peppered with vivid accounts of food. The culture and social history of Palestine come alive as Yara cooks shakshuka, kibbeh balls, tzatziki, and kufta kebabs. This also brings out the domestic politics of Palestinian families. Yara has to play the role of the perfect wife which means looking after her children all by herself while preparing fresh meals. She does this along with juggling her job at the university as an Arts lecturer and graphic designer for the university’s website. She has a lot on her plate and most days fly past her as she races to finish one task after another.

Yara dreams of making something of herself outside the confines of her marriage and at the same time, she wants to preserve the sanctity of her home that she feels privileged to have.  She knows when compared to the lives of her parents who grew up in refugee camps, Yara has been blessed with a happy home and family. She struggles with creative freedom as she is held back by her sheltered upbringing and immigrant background.

Rum crafts her characters with care and compassion. We see the protagonist Yara torn between wanting to live freely and fulfilling her duties as a mother. More than anything, she does not want to end up like her own mother who resented her children for her unfulfilled dreams. Yara’s mother believes that she has been cursed with an evil eye and that the same has happened to Yara. Yara’s husband, Fadi, is nothing like her father who pushed her mother into a life of domestic slavery. And, yet, Fadi cannot fathom being the primary caregiver for his own children temporarily on Yara’s request. On the other hand, Yara’s mother is both a victim of patriarchy and a perpetrator. She pushes young Yara into a caregiving role for her brothers. She possibly suffers from depression and snaps at young Yara. All Yara can remember of her family is the awful way they treated her which made her crave a life far removed from them. She thought she would attain some degree of freedom by marrying Fadi but instead, she becomes a mother who juggles grad school with raising her daughters.

A heartbreaking account of the inner conflicts of ambitious women, Etaf Rum’s Evil Eye pushes the boundaries of feminism. It explores the impact of intergenerational trauma in Palestinian refugee families. It is a nuanced account of mother-daughter dynamics that asks important questions about cultural identity and patriarchal oppression.